The Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel Saga: A Never-Ending Love Story!

RDJ has returned! The Russo Brothers have also returned! We are all back and excited!

It’s quite surprising: Robert Downey Jr. is set to reprise his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Victor Von Doom in the upcoming Avengers movie, titled Avengers: Doomsday.

At Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel on Saturday night, the Russo brothers were announced as the directors of both Doomsday and its follow-up film, Avengers: Secret Wars.

Dressed in a Doom costume, complete with a mask, Downey Jr. made a dramatic entrance on stage. Marvel Studios’s Twitter account captured the actual moment of the unmasking and the fan reaction that ensued:

“New mask, same task.” Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024

“Downey Jr. stated, “The mask is new, but the task remains the same.”

The upcoming Marvel crossover film, originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, has been officially renamed Avengers: Doomsday to highlight the prominent role of iconic villain Victor von Doom.

Nevertheless, it is worth considering how RDJ will portray one of Marvel’s most notorious antagonists, given that he is already one of the most beloved heroes in the entire MCU.

How the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse will play a role in this situation

Peter Parker from the MCU had the opportunity to encounter and battle alongside various iterations of Spider-Man from previous Sony franchises. Similarly, Loki embarked on a journey to locate and confront his alternate versions from various timelines. Meanwhile, a Council of Kangs was in the process of forming.

Despite this, the casting of RDJ as the new Doctor Doom marks a significant expansion in the use of the universe.

At SDCC’s Hall H, in front of a crowd of costumed and masked Doctor Dooms, the Russo Brothers declared, “To showcase the infinite potential of the Marvel multiverse, we present to you the only individual capable of portraying Victor von Doom.” RDJ then emerged from the stage, revealing his identity by removing his mask.

The multiverse enables this by utilizing a variety of intriguing avenues, several of which center around the MCU’s Doctor Doom, a more sinister iteration of Tony Stark.

RDJ is Back as Dr. Doom!! — Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Endgame | Source: IMDb

How Does The Fantastic Four’s Alternate Universe Setting Make An Iron Man Variant More Possible?

Although he is a formidable threat to many characters in the Marvel Universe, Doctor Doom’s main rival is Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic and he is primarily an enemy of The Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four's Alternate Universe Setting Makes An Iron Man Variant More Possible — Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn in The Fantastic Four (2025) | Source: IMDb

With this in mind, the confirmation that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in a separate retro-futuristic universe from the main MCU does support the possibility of RDJ playing a more sinister version of Iron Man who eventually becomes Doom in this alternate timeline.

Despite being the World’s Smartest Man, Reed Richards could easily clash with Tony Stark’s ego.

The expectation is that RDJ’s Doom will initially appear as an adversary to Marvel’s First Family in this alternate universe, with the hope that he will eventually transform into his immensely powerful “God Emperor”form, as seen in the 2015 Secret Wars event in the comics.

In order to achieve this, Doom’s role in the upcoming 2025 films Fantastic Four and Avengers: Doomsday will hopefully allow the MCU enough time for viewers to fully understand this version of Doom and his motivations before the stakes are raised in the concluding Multiverse Saga with Secret Wars.

About Marvel Cinematic Universe

The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is a popular American media franchise and shared universe that revolves around a collection of superhero movies and television shows. These productions are created by Marvel Studios and are based on characters from American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

The franchise encompasses a wide range of media, such as comic books, short films, television series, and digital series. Like the original Marvel Universe in comic books, the shared universe was created by intertwining common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.